Wuthering Heights
Reading Guide
Chapter 1
1. What evidence can you find, from the start, of Heathcliff’s hatred of other people? 2. What questions are raised in your mind about him?
3. Are you attracted, repelled, or merely interested after reading the first description of him? Explain your reaction.
4. Who is Mr. Lockwood? What are your impressions of him?
Chapter 2
1. Consider the young Mrs. Heathcliff:
a. What unattractive characteristics does she reveal? b. What better side does she show?
c. What description does Lockwood give of her physical appearance? d. What hints do you find of the reasons for her ill-natured personality? 2. Consider Hareton Earnshaw:
a. What puzzles you about his status in the family? b. What unattractive qualities does he show? c. What better side does he show?
d. How does Lockwood describe his physical appearance? e. How do you explain Hareton’s ill-natured attitude?
Chapter 3
1. Describe the strange bed Mr. Lockwood has to sleep in.
2. What three names does he find scratched on the window ledge? 3. What does Mr. Lockwood learn from reading Catherine’s diary? 4. Briefly describe his nightmares.
5. What new light is shed on the relationship between Heathcliff and his daughter-in-law?
Chapter 4
1. What do you learn from Mrs. Dean’s story that helps you to understand Heathcliff’s personality?
2. Mrs. Dean explains that he did not complain, but she gives a strange reason for his putting up with the situation. What is that reason?
3. What incident strengthens the animosity between Hindley and Heathcliff?
Chapter 5
1. How does Mr. Earnshaw’s partiality toward Heathcliff actually work against he boy? 2. Describe the two sides of Catherine Earnshaw as seen in this chapter.
3. What sad even takes place? How do Catherine and Heathcliff react?
Chapter 6
1. How has Hindley Earnshaw changed? Find two reasons for his mistreating Heathcliff. 2. What is your first impression of Thrushcross Grange?
3. What has apparently happened in that household before Catherine and Heathcliff arrive? 4. What happens to Cathy?
5. How do the Lintons treat Heathcliff?
Chapter 7
1. What change has taken place in Cathy by the time she returns to Wuthering Heights? 2. What resolution does Heathcliff make and tell to Ellen (Nelly) Dean?
3. When Hindley and Edgar insult Heathcliff, what does he do? 4. What does Heathcliff say he will do to Hindley for locking him up?
5. What interesting thing about herself does Mrs. Dean reveal to Lockwood?
1. Cathy quarrels with both Heathcliff and Edgar. How does each quarrel reflect the emotional tensions she is feeling as a result of the attachment she feels for each of these men?
2. What is Edgar’s initial reaction to Cathy’s violent temper? How does he later react? 3. What new development comes at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 9
1. Consider Cathy’s rationale for marrying Edgar: a. What reasons does she tell Nelly?
b. What does Nelly say about these reasons?
c. What causes Cathy to be worried and unhappy about her decision? d. What is the effect of Cathy’s confession upon eavesdropping Heathcliff? e. How do that day’s events lead to Cathy’s illness?
2. Consider the two deeply seated drives that tear at Catherine:
a. What two strongly conflicting desires has Cathy so far revealed? b. What desire does Heathcliff fulfill?
c. What desire does Edgarf fulfill?
3. How can Cathy’s illness be explained on a physical basis? On a psychological basis?
Chapter 10
1. What is mysterious about Heathcliff’s fortune? 2. How does he look and act when he returns? 3. How does Cathy receive him?
4. Why does Heathcliff want to live at Wuthering Heights? 5. How does Cathy react to Isabella’s infatuation with Heathcliff?
6. What does Mrs. Dean think about Heathcliff’s living at Wuthering Heights?
Chapter 11
1. How has Hareton changed?
2. Why doe Heathcliff and Cathering quarrel? 3. What part does Edgar play in this matter?
4. What results come for Heathcliff? For Catherine? For Edgar? For Isabella?
Chapter 12
1. In her illness, what does Catherine reveal to Mrs. Dean?
2. What does Mrs. Dean see when she goes for medical help at 2 AM? 3. What is the doctor’s diagnosis of Catherine’s illness?
4. What is Edgar’s reaction to Isabella’s disappearance?
Chapter 13
1. What new complication is there in Catherine’s case?
2. In Isabella’s letter to Ellen Dean, what does she reveal about Heathcliff’s character? 3. What does her quoting Hindley Earnshaw add to that picture?
4. Whom does Heathcliff blame for Cathy’s illness?
Chapter 14
1. How has Isabella’s living at Wuthering Heights changed her appearance and living habits? 2. How does Heathcliff react?
3. How does he justify to Mrs. Dean his brutal treatment of Isabella? 4. What is Heathcliff’s driving ambition now? What is he doing about it? Chapter 15
1. In Catherine and Heathcliff’s visit, what do you learn that their love has done to each?
2. In Catherine’s explanation to Nelly Dean, at which time Heathcliff is almost overcome by emotion, what feeling about death does Catherine convey?
Chapter 16
1. What special event takes place at midnight?
2. What is Nelly Dean’s reaction to Catherine’s death? 3. What is Heathcliff’s reaction?
4. What connection to do you see between what Heathcliff says here and what he does on the night that Mr. Lockwood stays at Wuthering Heights?
5. What is unusual about the location of Catherine’s grave?
Chapter 17
1. Who unexpectedly arrives at Thrushcross Grange? 2. How has Heathcliff been acting since Catherine’s death? 3. What new violence takes places at Wuthering Heights? 4. When Isabella takes flight, what is Hareton doing?
5. What takes place shortly after Isabella moves to London? 6. How does Hindley Earnshaw die? How old is he when he dies? 7. What are Heathcliff’s intentions for Hareton?
8. What is grimly ironic about Hareton’s situation after his father’s death?
Chapter 18
1. Describe little Cathy Linton.
2. What willful action of Cathy puts her in touch with Wuthering Heights? 3. How do Cathy and Hareton feel about each other at their first meeting? 4. What does Nelly Dean think of Hareton?
Chapter 19
1. Why does Linton Heathcliff come to live at Thrushcross Grange? 2. Describe Linton.
3. Why does Linton have to move to Wuthering Heights?
Chapter 20
1. Notice that Heathcliff calls Linton “my property,” “it,” and “puling chicken”; nevertheless, what does he plan for his son?
2. How does Linton accept the meal Joseph brings to him? How does Joseph react to Linton’s behavior?
Chapter 21
1. When Heathcliff compares Hareton to Linton, why does he prefer Hareton? 2. How does the housekeeper describe Linton?
3. What unusual encounter does young Cathy make on her sixteenth birthday?
4. Why is Heathcliff so determined to have Cathy see Linton? What is his ultimate plan? 5. Why has Heathcliff tried so hard to make Hareton a stupid, withdrawn person?
6. What is Edgar’s explanation to Cathy of why he has not kept up a relationship with the people at the Heights?
7. What does Nelly discover Cathy has been doing in spite of her warnings? How ha she managed to do it?
8. How does Nelly end the matter? Chapter 22
1. What is Heathcliff’s message to Cathy when he meets the two ladies on their walk? 2. What effect does this news have on Cathy?
3. What is Heathcliff’s real intention?
Chapter 23
1. How do you explain Cathy’s infatuation for Linton when he is so selfish and peevish?
2. What has Cathy apparently been doing in the evenings after she had taken care of Nelly’s needs during the latter’s illness?
1. How are Cathy’s visits to Linton discovered?
2. Describe Cathy and Linton’s activities when they are together.
3. Why is it so important to Hareton to read his name? How might this detail actually be an example of foreshadowing?
4. Why doe Hareton treat Cathy and Linton so brutally?
5. When Cathy sees Linton again, of what does he accuse her?
6. When Cathy explain to Ellen how she feels about the time she has spent with Linton (next to the last paragraph in the chapter), how does Ellen feel about the relationship?
7. What does Edgar decide to do about the whole matter?
Chapter 25
1. At the start of the chapter, what does Ellen suggest may be Lockwood’s real interest in Cathy’s story? How does that aid the reader’s interest?
2. What do Edgar’s attitude and words foreshadow? 3. What does Ellen’s speech about Cathy prophesy?
4. In Linton’s letter to Edgar, what agreement does Linton ask Edgar to make? 5. What is the state of Linton’s health at this time?
Chapter 26
1. What is Cathy’s reaction when she first sees Linton?
2. Why does Linton feel compelled to stay that he is getting better? 3. What does Linton’s behavior imply about Heathcliff’s amibition? 4. How does Cathy feel at the end of their visit?
Chapter 27
1. What new anxiety does Cathy have?
2. What fear does Heathcliff voice to Ellen? Why is that so important to him? 3. What does Linton reveal that Heathcliff instructed him to do?
4. How does Heathcliff manage to get Cathy inside Wuthering Heights? 5. How does he treat Cathy once she is inside?
6. What does Linton reveal to Cathy and Ellen?
7. Why is Cathy determined to return immediately to Thrushcross Grange? 8. What chance do Cathy and Ellen miss?
9. How long is Ellen held a prisoner in Zillah’s room?
Chapter 28
1. What story has been told in Gimmerton about Ellen and Cathy?
2. What doe Linton reveal about Heathcliff’s promise to Cathy that she can go home? 3. Why does Linton side with Heathcliff against Cathy at this time?
4. Why does Edgar determine to change his will? How will he change it? Why does he not succeed? 5. How does Cathy manage to see her father before he does?
Chapter 29
1. What hope to Cathy and Nelly entertain?
2. Why will Heathcliff not agree to that arrangement?
3. What rather astute pronouncement does Cathy make to and about Heathcliff?
4. What bizarre arrangement has Heathcliff made to be sure that he will be close to Cathering when he dies?
5. What does Heathcliff tell Ellen he experienced on the night of Catherine’s death? 6. Why can’t he sleep in Catherine’s room at the Heights?
7. What two cruelties does Heathcliff healp on Cathy when he takes her back to the Heights?
Chapter 30
1. Notice that Zillah become the narrator for a short time. What additional cruelty does she reveal that Heathcliff is guilty of carrying out?
4. What does Hareton help Cathy to do when she finally comes downstairs? How does the incident end? 5. What change has taken place in Cathy?
Chapter 31
1. Notice that Lockwood becomes the narrator again. What does Cathy reveal to him? 2. What do we find about Hareton?
3. How doe Cathy further alienate him?
4. Whom does Heathcliff feel that Hareton resembles most? 5. What does Lockwood reveal he will do?
6. Why does he not get a last glimpse of Cathy?
Chapter 32
1. Compare the date on this chapter with that of the first chapter. Approximately how much time has elapsed?
2. What does Lockwood decide to do as he travels north?
3. Why does he leave Thrushcross Grange and head for Wuthering Heights? 4. What doe she see when he looks through the window?
5. Whom does he find in the kitchen?
6. What news is he given when he wants to pay the rent?
7. What action of Hareton results in Cathy’s apologizing for abusing him? What does this action tell you about Hareton?
8. What promise does Cathy make that Hareton cannot refuse?
9. What does Nelly say will make her the happiest woman in England?
Chapter 33
1. What has happened to Joseph’s black currant trees?
2. How does Cathy reveal that she knows what Heathcliff has done to Hareton and her? 3. Why does Heathcliff not harm her?
4. What does Cathy learn of Hareton’s feelings towards Heathcliff? 5. What change is taking place in Heathcliff?
6. What does Nelly believe that Heathcliff’s conscience has created for him? Why does she believe it?
Chapter 34
1. What change does Cathy notice in Heathcliff when she meets him coming on that April morning? 2. What doe Nelly notice when Heathcliff comes back into the house an hour or two after the others have
eaten?
3. What strange answer does he give when Nelly asks him where he was on the previous night? 4. When Nelly goes the next night to close the window casements, what startles her?
5. Where does Heathcliff decide to sleep that night?
6. Describe Heathcliff’s odd behavior at breakfast the next morning.
7. To whom does he appear to be talking that night when Nelly comes downstairs? 8. Why does Heathcliff decided that he doesn’t need Mr. Green, the lawyer? 9. What does Nelly Dean think he most needs?
10. What does Nelly find the next morning? 11. What is Joseph’s reaction?
12. How does Hareton react?
13. What tales are going around the village? 14. What is to become of Hareton and Cathy?
